Kseniya Alexandrova represented Russia at the Miss Universe pageant in 2017. She was a runner-up to be Miss Russia in another pageant. However, the Russian beauty queen has died tragically at the age of 30.

Model Nadeen Ayoub will become the first woman to represent Palestine at the Miss Universe pageant. "I am honored to announce that for the first time ever, Palestine will be represented at Miss Universe. Today, I step onto the Miss Universe stage not just with a title—but with a truth," she said in a statement on Instagram.